AGY-58 | Ambulance Transport Service Board

Full description

Ambulance services had been provided by the NSW Government from at least 1894 (1) However the major provision of service fell to voluntary organisations - the St John Ambulance Association and Brigade (from 1902) (2) and the Civil Ambulance Transport Brigade. Under the Ambulance Transport Service Act (No.5, 1919) the Ambulance Transport Service Board, was established to organise and control ambulance services. (3) The first board was to comprise (i) a chairman and two members appointed by the Governor; (ii) three members of the St John Ambulance Brigade; (iii) three members of the Civil Ambulance Transport Brigade ; (iv) one member each of the Canterbury and Newtown District Ambulance Transport Brigades. (4) The first Board was to remain in office for three years and to be succeeded by a Board comprised as follows:- (i) a chairman and two members appointed by the Governor (ii) three members elected by the Committee of the central district (iii) one member to be elected by each other district committee. (5) The Act provided for the establishment of Ambulance Districts administered by District Committees under the control of the Board. These Committees were elected by contributors. (6) One such District was the Central District which included the City of Sydney. Ambulance districts were supported financially by members' contributions. Ambulance Brigades met on 16 February 1920 to elect their representatives (7) The new Board published the first regulations on 3 September, 1920. (8) At the end of its first year of operation the Board had met twelve times and thirteen ambulance districts were in operation. (9) The Ambulance Transport Service (Amendment) Act 1924 (Act No. 74, 1924) added to the membership of the Board (i). The officer-in-charge of the NSW District of the St John Ambulance Brigade (Overseas) and one member of the district staff of the same brigade nominated by the officer-in-charge (ii) one member elected by the St John Ambulance Association, NSW Centre (iii) 'a qualified ambulance transport man' nominated by the Hospital Employees' Association of NSW. (10) The Act also established sub-districts for ambulance service. (11) The Ambulance Transport Service (Amendment) Act, 1951 (Act No 22, 1951) further regulated the employees of the service (12) and the election of district committees. (13) The Ambulance Transport Service (Amendment) Act, 1956 (Act No 13, 1956) reconstituted the NSW Ambulance Transport Service Board although this did not affect the continuity of the body corporate. (14) The new Board was to comprise 21 members as follows: (a) three persons nominated by the Minister, one of who shall be Chairman of the Board (b) one person nominated by the St John Ambulance Brigade (Overseas) NSW District (c) one nominee of the St John Ambulance Association, NSW Centre (d) one 'qualified ambulance transport man' nominated by the Hospital Employees Association of NSW (e) two nominees of the Ambulance Superintendents Association (f) the Superintendent of the Central District Ambulance and two persons elected by each of the following: (g) the Committee of the Central District (h) the district committees within the County of Cumberland (other than the central district) committee. (i) the district committees in the County of Northumberland (j) the district committees in the Northern Zone (k) the district committees in the Central Zone (l) the district committees in the Southern Zone. (15) The Act set down the responsibilities and proceedings of the Board. The Board was required to establish zones for the delivery of ambulance services. (16) The new Act commenced on 1 December, 1956 (17) and the Board was reconstituted from 1 April. 1957 (18) The Ambulance Service Act (No.15, 1972) repealed the 1919 Act and all amending legislation, abolishing the Ambulance Transport Service Board and established the New South Wales Ambulance Board in its place (19) FOOTNOTES (1) NSW Public Service Lists 1894. P. 37 (2) Australian Encyclopaedia. Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1958. Volume 7. P. 537a. (3) Ambulance Transport Services Act, 1919 s.3 (4) Ibid. s.4 (5) Ibid. s. 5 (6) Ibid. ss. 12 - 14 (7) NSW Government Gazette 13 February, 1920 p. 1023 (8) NSW Government Gazette 3 September, 1920 p. 5145 ff (9) Ambulance Transport Service of New South Wales. Annual report for the year ended 30 June, 1921 p1 -2. In NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1921, Volume 3, p. 137 - 138 (10) Ambulance Transport Service (Amendment) Act 1924, s. 3 (d) (11) Ibid. s. 3(e) (12) Ambulance Transport Service (Amendment) Act, 1951, s. 2(a) (13) Ibid. s. 2 (b), (c) (14) Ambulance Transport Service (Amendment) Act, 1956, s. (2) (2) (a) (15) Ibid. S. (2) (4) (1) (16) Ibid. s. 3 (17) NSW Government Gazette 30 November, 1956, p. 3503 (18) NSW Government Gazette 25 January, 1957, p. 157 (19) Ambulance Service Act, 1972 s. 5(c) REFERENCES (1) "Concise Guide", 2nd Edition. "A - Cl", "Ambulance Service", p.57.